Class Assignment (2)
The grand hall of the academy was under the watchful eyes of every major representative from each race. Only a tiny fraction of the students attending the entrance ceremony knew this. Some observed from afar. Others used magic. And a few were present in the hall itself.
"My apologies, Lady Silmarion."
"It's fine."
The white lion beastman instructor, Largorian, bowed deeply to the hamster—Silmarion—who sat on a chair on the second-floor terrace overlooking the banquet hall.
"I had already anticipated the Obelisk would go berserk. Personally, I believe it should be removed even now, but..."
"My apologies for that."
Largorian bowed once more.
"As you know, the Obelisk..."
"Was one of the empire's artifacts. A tool created by the empire's mages to shatter the intellect of beastmen and reduce them to mere beasts."
Silmarion clicked her tongue while staring at the towering Obelisk in the hall.
"I've warned them repeatedly that this could lead to students turning into beasts during the entrance ceremony, yet..."
"How could anyone unworthy of enduring the Obelisk possibly inherit a King's Symbol? The Cat King and the Money King were particularly vehement about it."
"Indeed. As if to say, 'Are your races still afraid of the Obelisk?'"
At Silmarion's sarcastic remark, Largorian's mane bristled. Though his massive frame made it seem like hundreds of Silmarion's could never hope to match him, a beastman's power didn't diminish just because their opponent took the form of a small animal. In fact, the immense power radiating from that tiny hamster form made it obvious. Even Largorian—a lion beastman ranked among the top carnivorous races—instinctively felt the urge to tuck his tail in her presence.
"When will the Obelisk be fixed? Must I step in myself?"
"It will be resolved shortly. The mages of Cadelis are observing as well, so it should be recalibrated for the students very soon."
"Good. It must be adjusted to the students' level. Unless we want it to become the personality-destroying magical weapon it was during the Revolutionary War."
The insane plan to test the students' mental fortitude with the Obelisk had received strong support from two kings, with the rest of the beastmen casting votes in favor without much objection. Why? Pride.
If even those tiny rabbits are proudly sending their heirs to face the empire's massacre device from a century ago, are we really going to back down?
It would be a blow to their racial pride. And if any student failed to overcome the student-grade version, became broken, and then attacked Silmarion without even recognizing her as a king—that would be a humiliation for their entire race.
It was a battle of egos. The unspoken belief that the heirs they had chosen could never have their minds collapse. Everyone had tacitly accepted the Obelisk's use for that very reason.
"Has the output still not been adjusted?"
"I-it will be ready soon."
Since the Obelisk wasn't something the beastmen had created but rather a tool from the human empire designed to suppress them, handling it was far from easy.
"We prepared as thoroughly as we could..."
"It can't be helped. This wasn't something prepared a year in advance. The Hound King and the Monkey King... no, the Dog King and the Monkey King got into an argument over drinks and decided to use the Obelisk on the spot."
It wasn't due to a lack of preparation. It was simply an impromptu decision.
"So, Instructor Largorian. Is the class assignment proceeding properly?"
"Ah, yes! The Obelisk will determine placement based on how well they endure it. Just like how it classified the danger levels of beastmen in the distant past."
Largorian pointed to the lines of magical power connected beneath the Obelisk and the various designated spots.
"The three hundred beastmen will be divided into a total of twelve classes."
"Twelve classes. So Class 1 is the strongest, and Class 12 is the weakest, I assume."
"Correct. In truth, the preliminary sorting was already done yesterday through remote magical measurements when they entered the academy. We have a rough list already."
Largorian handed Silmarion a folder of documents.
"In reality, the Obelisk is little more than a formality. Unless they turn into beasts, the students will simply see their assigned class number appear on the Obelisk. We've adjusted the magic that way. The Obelisk is essentially... just a device to warn the students."
"So the class assignments from 1 to 12 are already completely decided?"
"Yes. It's a secret from the undergraduates, but the primary class assignments were finalized yesterday."
Final. Primary. It was a contradictory term, but there wasn't any major issue.
"We finished sorting them strictly by strength. Using the recommendations from their sponsors and evaluations from those around them. However..."
One problem.
"When we considered racial balance..."
"There are four dragonkin in the provisional Class 1 alone."
"Yes. Adjustments were necessary. From Class 1 to Class 4, there were many cases where students of the same race were clustered in the upper tiers."
"Hmm..."
"But if we move even one person down, it creates a chain reaction, causing extreme disparities in skill level within each class..."
"So you decided to create an extra class—Class 13?"
"Yes."
"You must know what the number 13 signifies, Instructor."
"...I do."
Thirteen. To the beastmen of this era, it also meant 'abandoned existence.'
"In families with twelve children, males often remove their seed or females take magical measures to avoid ever having a thirteenth. It's quite common."
"I don't need to explain why that is, do I?"
"Because the great Dragon chose only twelve kings."
"And yet you're still creating a Class 13?"
"That is what has been decided."
"Hmm... Well, if that's the case, there's nothing to be done."
Silmarion didn't press the matter any further. Because someone had appeared at the entrance.
"Pardon me, Lady Silmarion."
"Mm."
Largorian immediately reverted to his stern instructor demeanor and began speaking with the beastman who had arrived in the hall. The appearance of a sheep beastman.
Silmarion carefully turned her gaze toward one of the many pillars in the hall.
[.......]
She could sense the other's reaction through the connected magical power, but the other party showed no particular response. Even though the Sheep King had ignored the academy's instructions for their race to wait and had come directly to the hall, the Sheep King remained silent without a word.
"Heh."
Silmarion gave a faint smile at the Sheep King's attitude. She had considered immediately channeling her power to visit the Canyon of Sheep if anything strange happened, but there was no need.
Wiiiiing.
A male approached the Obelisk. Behind him stood the Rabbit Kingdom's First Princess—apparently they had spoken again—but he paid her no mind and walked straight toward the device that could destroy one's humanity.
"Ah."
Should she intervene? The Obelisk hadn't been stabilized yet. Instead of suppressing its power for student use, the nightmarish magical tool that had once forcibly turned beastmen into beasts during the war was beginning to rampage.
[Oh? The first one is a sheep?]
[Interesting. Are we going to see him drop to all fours and go 'baaa'?]
[Shouldn't we stop him?]
[Stop him? Why? If he turns into a beast, that just means the Sheep King chose the wrong successor. Hehehe.]
It was a crisis where a young sheep could very well be reduced to a beast, yet the other kings merely intended to watch. Either to eliminate a rival or simply for their own amusement.
[What's this, Rat King? Is the King of Rats worried about that little lamb? Ah, or does that kind of face happen to be your type?]
"Shut your nonsense."
Silmarion forced herself to lean back in her chair.
"If the instructors can't subdue the beast, then I, as king, will have no choice but to step in myself."
[Hehe. Dismissing the instructors, are we?]
[Who knows. Maybe one of the princes or princesses will turn into a beast on the very first day.]
[......Wait. He's just touching it with his hand?]
While the spectators chatted among themselves, the male reached out directly toward the rampaging Obelisk.
[This is dangerous...!]
Everyone was shocked. Even Silmarion tensed for a moment. What if his disguise came undone? Or if that personality-erasing device worked on him too?
If something like that happened—
Whoosh.
Fortunately, it didn't. The male safely passed the test, and the Obelisk went quiet as if nothing had happened.
And then.
It rampaged once again.
The rabbit princess placed her hand on the Obelisk as well and passed the test. The number that appeared on the Obelisk was the same as the sheep beastman's—
13.
[Oh? That princess... Bleber, was it?]
[This should be worth watching.]
Even before the entrance ceremony had properly begun, two students had already been assigned to Class 13.
Class 13.
It was a class created for administrative convenience, but it also carried another meaning.
"...The group with the strongest sense of self."
The Obelisk's twelve grades from 1 to 12. Even if they had forcibly divided them for class assignment purposes, there was one fundamental aspect that couldn't be changed.
13. Outside the grading system. Unmeasurable.
Or...
"...Human."
"This can't be. How could I not be in Class 1...?"
Bleber stared blankly at the ceiling, muttering in a daze.
"Why...? Was it because I came out on my own...? Don't tell me I'm actually one of the abandoned Numbers...?"
"No way."
"What did you say?"
At the same time, she shot me a slightly venomous look.
"Hey. Do you even understand what it means to be placed in Class 13?"
"I do."
"There are only twelve King's Symbols, so a thirteenth class means...!"
"A number that shouldn't exist."
"......."
"But now it does. Want to make a bet?"
"A bet?"
I pulled a single gold coin from my pocket.
"Yeah. Students will start coming in one by one soon. Since the entrance ceremony was delayed because of the Obelisk adjustment, now that it's done, they'll trickle in."
"And?"
"How many do you think will end up in Class 13? In my opinion... I doubt it'll even reach twelve."
"......What kind of nonsense is that?"
"That's why I'm suggesting a bet. I'll wager this gold coin. What will you bet?"
"......."
Bleber thought for a moment, then waved her hand and let out a small laugh.
"Fine. I'll bet that there will be far more than twelve. If you win, I'll treat you to dinner at the best vegetarian restaurant in Cadelis."
"......."
"Why are you making that face?"
"No, it's nothing."
Good. At least until the class assignments were fully over, she wouldn't be moping about being in Class 13.
Without realizing she's actually in the most blessed class of all.
Because I was there.